Like rolling thunder (we've had a bit of that lately), the Texas-grown crops keep coming. Up now: Texas blueberries and blackberries . Besides tasting good, both of these berries are rich in beneficial phytonutrients. And the fresher they are, the tastier they are.

NATALIE CAUDILL/DMN

18th Annual Blueberry Festival: Saturday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. starting with a blueberry-pancake breakfast, with entertainment, food, blueberries and blueberry-picking. Free admission. Nacogdoches; 936-560-5533.

Pick your own: East Texas has a lot of pick-your-own farms, if you'd like to make a morning or day trip out of picking berries. The places usually sell already-picked berries if you don't want to harvest your own. It's wise to call and check availability before you go. Pick-your-owns are listed on the Texas Department of Agriculture site www.picktexas.com. But the list is far from complete.

Here are some pick-your-owns that have sent information to us. We'll keep a running list over the next several weeks at dallasnews.com/food .

Blueberry Basket Farm: Larue, Henderson County; 903-677-3448

Blueberry Hill Farms: Edom, Van Zandt County; 903-852-6175; www.blueberryhillfarms.com

Echo Springs Blueberry Farm: Murchison, Henderson County; 903-852-5277; www.echospringsblueberryfarm.com

Blueberry Ridge Farm: Mineola, Wood County; 903-569-1550; www.blueberryridgefarm.com

The Greer Farm: Daingerfield, Morris County; 903-645-3232; www.greerfarm.com

Twin Oaks Blueberry Farm: Greenville, Hunt County; 903-862-3679

Blueberry-picking tips: Wear a hat, long pants and long, light sleeves. Bring sunscreen. Wear comfortable, closed-toe shoes or boots that can get muddy. Bring a cooler in which to store berries for the ride home.

If you own or know of a farm, send the name, nearest city, county, phone number and Web site, if available, to food@dallasnews.com. Put "berry farm" in the subject line.

Pick or buy a bunch of berries and freeze them for winter use; they'll be better than bagged, frozen blueberries. Gently rinse in a colander. Spread on a paper-towel-lined cookie sheet in a single layer. Gently pat berries dry. Load into zipper-top freezer bags, making sure to get as much air out of each bag as you can. If they are dried before freezing, the berries won't stick together or will be easy to break apart with your fingers if they do. Use them straight from the freezer in pancakes, muffins, scones and smoothies as well as sauces.

Kim Pierce

Peaking or abundant: Yellow and zucchini squash (some local), Texas blueberries and blackberries, Texas peaches, asparagus, dark and Rainier cherries, apricots, nectarines, plums, leafy greens, red grapes, strawberries, celery, cabbage, bok choy, greens (collard, mustard and turnip), spinach, kale, papayas, corn, avocados, eggplant, carrots, peppers, mushrooms, potatoes, tomatoes, root vegetables such as turnips, beets, parsnips and rutabaga.

Spotty or out-of-season: Bananas, brussels sprouts, parsley, cilantro

The rain has been too much of a good thing for some farmers, and some crops have begun to rot in the fields because they could not be harvested promptly. Nevertheless, lots of good produce is coming in, from the aforementioned blueberries and blackberries to peaches, peas, squash, tomatoes, onions, red potatoes, field tomatoes and more. Looking for a farmer's market near you? Go to dallasnews.com/food.

Dallas Farmers Market highlights: Field-ripened tomatoes, peaches, Texas blueberries and blackberries, red and green plums, squash, onions (including green onions and 1015s), sweet corn, red potatoes, possibly beets. Local growers continue to have herb plants, as well as tomato and pepper plants. Saturday only: Edamame, leeks, poke salet greens, and an organic farmer with Swiss chard, kale, leafy greens, squash and berries (Shed No. 1).

East: Haddock

West: Copper River salmon (season due to close soon) and wild-caught halibut

South: Swordfish

Imported: Red snapper from Central America

Farm-raised: Striped bass

SOURCES: Joe LaBarba, American Foodservice; Toni Johns, City of Dallas Farmers Market; Marianne Marcinko, Ocean Beauty Seafood Co.